TRADERS at an historic Black Country market today accused a property developer of profiteering by doubling their parking charges to more than £600-a-year.

Stallholders on Walsall market who refuse to cough up the increase face being clamped, with a £100 release fee, and disabled badge holders using the same road will not be immune.

The row centres on an unadopted private road, just yards from Walsall market in the town centre's Digbeth area, which is owned by property company Goold Estates.

Market traders use the road to park their vehicles and used to pay Goold's around £300 each year for a permit.

That changed this week when the fee was hiked to £600, plus VAT, causing uproar among the traders.

Karen Sands, secretary of the Walsall Market Traders Association, said today: "We were shocked when we learnt how much the cost of a permit was to go up.

"It is such a dramatic rise other stallholders have said to me that it's just profiteering because we need those spaces and have no choice. I have spoken to Goold's about it and they told me that the road was the nearest available parking to the market and the new charge reflected the going rate.

"If the company wants to charge what they say is the market rate then it should fill in the potholes in the road, install adequate lighting and improve security."

Peter Brown, who has been on the market for more than 40 years with his family florist's business, said he was appalled at the increase.

Mr Brown, aged 59, said: "I have to keep my van parked in the road near my lockup so I can nip back and forth to the stall with fresh supplies."

But Goold's director Dominic Goold dismissed the accusation that he was profiteering.

He said: "We need to manage a congested area of the town centre and the only way to do that is to sell permits. We are offering a permit at what we regard as a competitive rate."